Housing & Real Estate

A new AARP Hawaiʻi/Smart Growth America report about the potential danger of losing affordable housing in Hawaiʻi has triggered a response from the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp., which is responsible for increasing and preserving the supply of affordable housing statewide.

In Hawaiʻi, more than forty thousand households earn $30,000 a year or less. For them, housing they can afford barely exists.

While a decrease was recorded in month-over-month data, Maui County vacation rental supply realized gains this January compared to January 2023.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., has signed the fifth Emergency Proclamation relating to Affordable Housing. Developers must now produce 60% of their units at 140% of the area median income or less – instead of the previous 50%-plus requirement.

Although zoned for 2,137 residential units, the Ledcor Maui project proposes construction of a maximum of 975 residential homes, which includes the Wailea resort community’s first workforce housing units. The state mandated public comment period of 45 days ends on April 8, 2024.

A group rallying to help secondary victims of the August fires is asking Gov. Josh Green to extend protections for tenants facing evictions from landlords seeking more lucrative rental income tied to subsidized housing for wildfire survivors.

Hawaiʻi Information Service retired its 27-year-old REsearch MLS system, moving all REALTOR members to HIMLS with zero downtime.

A bill has been submitted to the Maui County Council that would pave the way for loan of up to $14 million from Maui County for the 212-unit Aikanaha low-income rental housing project in Waikapū.

The median sales price of a single-family home in Maui County spiked to $1,342,581 in January, the highest cost for island homeownership in at least a year, according to statistics reported monthly by the Realtors Association of Maui. Median condominium prices increased more, by percentage, up 20.9% to $795,000.

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i on Thursday dedicated a new multi-purpose building for residents at its Kahului Lani senior affordable housing complex on Maui. Organization leaders also unveiled their next project, Hale Pilina, a 178-unit affordable housing complex at the former site of the Maui Swap Meet on South Pu‘unēnē Ave.

ʻĀina Lani Pacific is seeking a Maui County grant of more than $4.9 million to help pay for steeply rising construction costs projected for the developer’s 28-home Kilohana Makai project in Kīhei.

Maui Academy of Performing Arts has started construction on its new black box theater in the former National Dollar Store building at 2027 Main Street in Wailuku. With plans to consolidate programming in the new facility, the Board of Directors made the decision to list MAPA’s other two commercial buildings across the street for sale with Commercial Properties of Maui.  

After several months of research on Maui housing projects, Stand Up Maui has developed a list of present and proposed affordable housing projects called the Scorecard, set for public release this month.

Homeowners could receive grants of up to $100,000 for construction of accessory dwellings, also known as ʻohana units, under a bill passed on second and final reading Friday by the Maui County Council. Bill 38 advances to Mayor Richard Bissen for final action.

Last year, the REALTORS® Association of Maui Community Foundation awarded $37,000 in scholarships to 37 students. This year’s deadline to apply is March 1, 2024.

The organization plans to use the Stupski investment to finance construction loans for native Hawaiians to build on Department of Hawaiian Homelands. With this investment, HCL aims to house 200 beneficiary families over the next five years directly with the funds.

The free webinars will be led by expert financial educators at Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union who will provide financial tips during interactive  lessons.

An estimated 200 affordable rentals are under construction in Lahaina as part of the Kaiāulu o Kūku′ia project, which includes Hawaiʻi’s very first Bezos Academy preschool. 

Mayor Richard Bissen submitted to the County Council a bill to amend a section of the County Code in an effort to immediately increase the inventory of housing available to survivors of the August wildfires.

The Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation has selected EAH Housing to develop the Kahului Civic Center Mixed-Use Complex. The project is expected to break ground in 2027, with the first phase anticipated to be completed by 2029. The project includes a transit hub, civic center component, and 303 affordable housing units.

A groundbreaking and blessing ceremony was held Thursday morning for Hale O Piʻikea, a new 223-unit affordable rental housing development in Kīhei.